A MAN who sliced a neighbour's forehead open with a meat cleaver in a row over a door key has been jailed for almost five years.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that Zahid Shah was one of five bed-sit residents sharing a house in Moseley's Queens Wood Road.

On June 19 a 40-year-old neighbour asked Shah if he'd seen the property's rear door key – a question which prompted him to take a cleaver from the communal kitchen and strike his victim over the head.

The blade pierced through to the bone and left the man with a gash which required 13 stitches. Doctors later said the man's glasses – which were bent almost in two by the blade – absorbed some of the blow and prevented further injury.

Police officers arrived at the shared house shortly after the attack and found 31-year-old Shah sitting in an armchair wearing just his pants.

Despite numerous eye-witness accounts Shah denied any involvement in the attack – but minutes before his trial was due to start at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday (14 Dec) he changed his plea to guilty.

And after admitting one count of wounding with intent he was jailed for four years and eight months.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Laura Harrison from Birmingham CID, said: "The victim had asked a few people whether they'd seen the door key…he was concerned it was missing and a potential security risk.

"For some reason Shah took offence to being questioned, reacted angrily and walked to the kitchen area where he picked up the cleaver.

"He struck his victim across the forehead in one hard, swift action – it caused a nasty injury but one which could have been even worse.

"It's reassuring for the community that someone who can act so violently and unpredictably has been taken out of society for a considerable period of time."

The 999 call was made by the mother of a schoolchild who, on seeing Shah armed with the cleaver, ran home to raise the alarm.

Shah had discarded the cleaver and, upon arrest, refused to cooperate with police and maintained his innocence during interview and at successive court hearings.

DC Harrison, said: "There was overwhelming witness evidence…but it was only at the very last minute, whilst witnesses were waiting at court ready to give evidence, that he entered a guilty plea.

"Courts normally reduce prison sentences by one third to take into account guilty pleas – but because Shah pleaded his innocence for so long the judge only took fifteen per cent off the prison sentence he could have expected had he been found guilty after a trial."